With Facebook at ‘War,’ Zuckerberg Adopts More Aggressive Style

New approach causes turmoil, driving several key executives from the company and creating tensions with longtime Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg

What exactly is Facebook? It depends on when you asked Mark Zuckerberg. To see how Facebook became an election-influencing player, we dug into the archives and looked at the company's changing view of itself. Photo Illustration: Heather Seidel/The Wall Street Journal; Photos: Associated Press

Mark Zuckerberg gathered about 50 of his top lieutenants earlier this year and told them that Facebook Inc. was at war and he planned to lead the company accordingly.

During times of peace, executives can move more slowly and ensure that everybody is on board with key decisions, he said during the June meeting, according to people familiar with the remarks. But with Facebook under siege from lawmakers, investors and angry users, he needed to act more decisively, the people said.